PLP leader Phillip ‘Brave’ Davis.
PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis says he will immediately end the travel health visa requirement if the system is still in place and his party wins the next general election.
“The travel visa is an unnecessary tax imposed by the FNM government on Bahamians families and businesses when they can least afford it,” the party said in a statement yesterday.
“The PLP does not believe Bahamians should be charged to travel within their own country, nor should Bahamians be charged to return home after travelling abroad.
“Because any testing or insurance requirements related to COVID may be kept in place as needed without the travel visa, there is no purpose for the visa that justifies the additional cost burden. Indeed, many Bahamians travelling from one island to another already report being asked to show their negative COVID test in addition to showing their travel visa.
“The PLP would also end the travel visa for visitors; at a time when our economy is still in very serious trouble, the travel visa makes our tourism product less competitive – travellers visiting Barbados, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, St Lucia, St Kitts, the Dominican Republic or any number of other Caribbean destinations are not required to purchase a travel visa for each family member on top of other testing and insurance costs.
“Regarding the Ministry of Tourism claim that the airlines forced them to adopt the travel visa, Bahamians can judge for themselves whether this is believable, given the large number of Caribbean countries who never required a travel visa and nonetheless experienced no trouble with international airlines flying passengers in and out,” the PLP said.
Last week, the Ministry of Tourism offered a vigorous defence of the travel visa system. It said the fees were imposed to pay for the rapid antigen test residents were mandated to take, the health insurance visitors were required to have while in the county and to cover the start-up costs associated with the website along with other operational costs.
The ministry said funds that are earned are deposited into an account that electronic retail payment provider Kanoo Pays shares with the ministry and that the account is at all times controlled and monitored by the ministry’s accounting department.
The ministry said up to March 31, 2021, $2.4 million surplus funds have been received from the visa system. Revenues were $9.8 million and expenses were $7.4 million.
Comments
carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago
Why is the money going away from treasury or National Insurance. Doubt if he is serious. Everyone wants a horse in that race. An unending supply of money from each of our millions of air travelers into private shareholding of elite blk Bahamians is the way we do business. While the poor is left burdened down with 10billion plus dollars loans. Where is Woods Rodgers when you need him.
Godson 2 years, 10 months ago
None of that will matter until this matters:
Mum And Uncle Shot Dead 24 Hours Apart: Shavonna, 27, Gunned Down As Family United To Mourn Earlier Killing
...and the featured personality is incapable of affecting either.
Topdude 2 years, 10 months ago
This man is prattling off nonsense without thinking through the implications of his statements. If he was to review the evidence of this policy instrument he will recognize the need for a pool of funds to be made available to attack this rapidly evolving virus. However, we must remember that the members of the leadership of the PLP are unable to bring to bear reasoned thoughts to critical policy matters.
I am sure if the matter under discussion had something to do with entertaining and encouraging disgraced expatriates, he would recommend no barriers to their entry into our nation. This is depth to which the leaders of this party have sunk in order to curry favor with every Tom, Dick and Harry.
At any rate the gentleman is dreaming of what if the PLP won. That’s not going to happen. Even Tribanon knows that.
tribanon 2 years, 10 months ago
I haven't voted for a PLP candidate since the first term of Poodling. And I voted for the independent who ran in my constituency back in May 2017. You can be rest assured I would never ever vote for a FNM candidate as long as Minnis remains the front person of the now failed FNM party. I strongly suspect many Bahamians are as convinced as I am that Minnis will go down in history as the worst PM our nation has ever had or will ever have for a long long time to come. This one man has destroyed the lives of so many Bahamians in so many more ways than most of us could ever have imagined. Truly sad.
bahamianson 2 years, 10 months ago
health visa scrapped, and then you say the present party in government was not prepared to deal with the virus. the opposition , whether plp or fnm, is always in a better position to criticize. we the people, feel the pain not these politicians.
Sickened 2 years, 10 months ago
The whole entire country would be scrapped under Brave's PLP!
tribanon 2 years, 10 months ago
As much as I detest Davis for being the corrupt scoundrel that he is, not even he could not do nearly the kind of great harm to our nation and people that another five years of Minnis would most assuredly do.
tribanon 2 years, 10 months ago
Ignore the unintended double negative "not" typo.
realitycheck242 2 years, 10 months ago
The Pandemic has the PLP jonesing for power. They will promise water out of rock to get in. Many of the PLP croonies are now broke and loonging to get back at the cookie Jar and government contracts.....dont be fooled Bahamians.
M0J0 2 years, 10 months ago
Removing all politics the health visa should be scrapped out of simple integrity. It is a robbery scheme sadly.
licks2 2 years, 10 months ago
Hehehehehehehehehehehe. . . it is so glearing!! The fact that the PLP is corrupt is unanimous here and on the streets!! But I must admit myself. . .I can't vote for a PLP party under the current leadership!! The choice is between goofy or the begale boys!! Yinna old peoples them around here know just what them two characters them are!! Maybe the DNA can put forward some "sane" candidates. . .they sure can use some!! Their leadership is clueless as BD!!
Doc "lucky" because the PLP will not put A. Sears as their leader!! They do stand a good chance with A.S. as their front man!!
proudloudandfnm 2 years, 10 months ago
I honestly see no compelling reason to vote...
birdiestrachan 2 years, 10 months ago
The expenses for the travel visa are much too high. It makes no sense.. Will the FNM government ever get enough from taxing poor Bahamians,?Why is a travel Visa needed in the place?
The rich are getting richer under this FNM Government and the middle class will soon disappear.
Calling people corrupt is easy. Proving it is another
the people's time voters do deserve this FNM Government. can they really say they are better off. .
birdiestrachan 2 years, 10 months ago
FNM's love to call the PLP corrupt. but the truth is they have proven themselves to be corrupt the silly cookie jar story is just nonsense for silly people. nincompoops.
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 10 months ago
"cover the start-up costs associated with the website along with other operational costs."
seriously? the startup costs to cover a form with 20 fields and monthly storage? 5000 dollars plus 500 per month? Why is the govt being charged over and over again to repeatedly rebuild forms? Doing the same work over and over again and calling it "innovation" 30 million dollar innovation. look it has a different title and the button on this one pink instead of blue
BahamaRed 2 years, 10 months ago
So tired of the tit for tat political games. Whatever the FNM does the PLP promises to do opposite and vice versa.
Nothing new is ever brought to the table, just a constant back and forth on the same issues. Smh
licks2 2 years, 10 months ago
Maybe its the issues that keep we moving back and forward!! Ever think about it that way??? Don't you think if its the issues then we would need to move back and forward?? Think about it. . .
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